Doctor Who_ Wolfsbane - Jac Rayner [72]
Harry shot a glance at Godric, who looked fairly stunned at this revelation. „I just thought it was one of those things,‟ said Harry, who considered that he had had a lot more experience of time travel than anyone else present, but couldn‟t tell them that.
The Doctor whipped a pen from an inside pocket. Before Harry had worked out what he was doing, the Doctor had taken hold of his hand and written: „Dryads exist. I was trapped in a tree‟ on the back. He then did the same to the bewildered Godric.
„But if this is true, why do we not have memories of such a terrible thing?‟ the lad asked.
The Doctor shrugged. „I don‟t know. Magic, I assume.
Spirits of nature prefer to keep their existence a secret from humans.‟
„And how can you remember?‟ asked Harry, suddenly wondering.
But the Doctor didn‟t know that, either. „Her magic doesn‟t affect me,‟ he said. „Like Hester Stanton‟s didn‟t. But I have no idea why. Perhaps,‟ he added with a smile, „I just have one of those brains. Come on!‟ The last was to Godric, as the Doctor bounced over to the front door. „No time to waste! We have a plan!‟
Godric held back. His face was creased with the effort of memory. „This creature enchanted me,‟ he said. „Trapped me and kept me away from my home and my loved ones.‟ He took in an enormous gulp of air.
„And you don‟t want to see her again,‟ the Doctor said quietly, sympathetically. „But we have no other plan. And I promise I will not let her harm you again, or do anything to you against your will. You won‟t remember, but together, you and I stopped her from taking Harry, yesterday. You have nothing to fear.‟
„We have no other plan,‟ said Godric, after a second, drawing himself up straight. „So even if you are not telling me the truth - although I believe you are - I would follow you.‟
The Doctor grabbed Godric‟s shoulders and beamed at him.
Well done,‟ he said. „Well said.‟ He turned to Harry. „Well, no time to lose. Goodbye, Harry.‟ He turned the key in the living room door and opened it, calling through to Emmeline, chained to the chair, „Goodbye Emmeline. And good luck.
Harry will look after you.‟
Harry stood in the hallway and stared at the cottage‟s front door long after it had closed behind the Doctor and Godric.
And then he went to make the tea.
Harry sat in one of the Doctor‟s comfortable armchairs, but couldn‟t get comfortable himself. He perched on the very edge of the seat, tense and watchful. Opposite him sat the person he was watching, Emmeline Neuberger, also in a comfortable chair, but bound from head to foot.
„Iron doesn‟t hurt you, then,‟ said Harry, looking at the chains around her wrists.
„No,‟ she replied. „It is not nice, no, but it does not hurt, not like silver.‟
He felt a need to confess to this woman, much as he disliked her. „I didn‟t believe you at first,‟ he said.
She knew what he was talking about. „But you do now?‟
„Yes.‟ A pause. „I‟m sorry.‟
She smiled. „I accept your apology. Perhaps we can be friends now, you and I.‟
That was perhaps going a little too far.
Harry took a sip of tea. „Are you sure you don‟t want one?‟
he asked. „I could probably - you know, hold it up for you or something.‟
She shook her head, smiling. „Would it be so bad, to be married to me?‟
A mouthful of tea went down the wrong way. When Harry had got over his choking fit, he put down his cup carefully on the table and sat back in his chair, staring at her.
„I would be very good to you, Harry,‟ she said. „You do not, perhaps, like me that much...‟
Of course, Harry didn‟t. But it would hardly be right to tell her that. Not gentlemanly. Not chivalrous. If Godric could aspire to chivalry, then so could Harry Sullivan.
„But we would both have the benefits from it. I, I would not be sent back to Germany, where I would be killed - or worse.
You, a man of the sea, you would have always to come home to a place where you would be looked after well. And I would look after you well.‟
Harry opened and closed his mouth several times. It seemed somehow wrong to remind